Every once in a while a product comes along that is worth noticing not because it’s a great deal or because it does something that no one else is doing, but because it is both creative and impactful. That is exactly what I thought when I read about Concrete Mode, a company that is in the business of repurposing used cement bags into something new.

Among a variety of duffle bags, wallets, and totes is an iPad case made from used cement bags that are collected from construction sites and mixing facilities. From the Conrete Mode website:

Concrete is the most consumed man-made material on earth and more than half of all the world’s concrete consumption occurs in Asia. Unfortunately, accurate data for Asia is not available. As a comparison, the U.S., the third largest consumer of concrete behind India and China, throws away about 39 million bags of concrete per year. Therefore, in Asia nearly triple that number of bags is wasted each year. Lastly, concrete bags are produced mainly from dwindling oil and natural gas resources. Besides immense CO2 emissions, concrete consumption produces waste when transporting it via bags. Instead of these bags ending up in landfills, we believe these bags should be repurposed into useful, fun, and fashionable items.

The iPad case has the following details:

Constructed from re-purposed cement bags

Flap opening Velcro closure system

Light interior padding

Compatible with all iPad models (Except iPad Mini)

Fully lined in a material safe for tablet screens

Length 10¼” (26cm); Width 7¾” (20cm); Height ½”(1.5cm)

Due to the nature of the salvaged material each product will vary in color, markings, etc…

When you purchase this case for $25 you will receive both piece of mind and what looks like a solid product. After all, what good would it do to salvage cement bags from one garbage only to put them in another due to poor quality. Cement bags are tough, durable, water resistant, and in this case really cool looking. If you are in the market for a new case then you should check them out.